Will opened his eyes.
For several seconds—
he simply stared at the ceiling.
No nightmares.
No sudden waking in the middle of the night.
No endless replay of conversations.
No guilt.
No pressure.
No thoughts dragging him back into things he couldn't change.
Just—
sleep.
A proper night's sleep.
The kind that felt unfamiliar.
He slowly sat up and looked around his room.
Morning sunlight entered through the window in soft golden lines.
Dust floated quietly in the air.
The room wasn't large.
Simple.
Clean.
Nothing special.
But somehow—
it felt peaceful.
Will rubbed his eyes and let out a slow breath.
His body felt lighter.
Not physically.
Mentally.
That strange heaviness that had been sitting in his chest for weeks—
felt quieter.
Not gone.
But quieter.
He stayed sitting for a while.
Thinking.
Back on Earth—
sleep wasn't something he enjoyed.
Military.
Schedules.
Pressure.
Responsibility.
Then work.
Deadlines.
Routine.
Then after coming here—
survival.
Tower.
Training.
System.
Magic.
Everything happened too quickly.
Even when resting—
his mind never stopped.
But last night—
for the first time—
he stopped trying to solve everything.
And maybe—
that was enough.
He stood and walked toward the window.
Outside—
students moved through academy grounds.
Morning routines.
People laughing.
Talking.
Living.
Will quietly looked outside.
Then remembered Clara's words.
Dreams that kill people.
Her expression.
Fear.
Not anger.
Fear.
She wasn't trying to stop him because she didn't believe in him.
She was scared.
Scared of losing someone again.
Will understood that.
More than she probably realized.
He looked down.
Then quietly shook his head.
No.
He wasn't going to think like that anymore.
Last night—
he spent too much time thinking.
About Original Will.
About whether he deserved this life.
About whether he should tell people.
About whether pretending was wrong.
But after sleeping—
his thoughts became simpler.
Clearer.
He quietly muttered—
"...I can't change the past."
He looked at his hand.
Opened it.
Closed it.
"...But I can change what I do now."
Original Will was gone.
That truth wouldn't change.
No amount of guilt would bring him back.
No amount of regret would fix anything.
Will couldn't become him.
Couldn't replace him.
Couldn't return him.
So—
there was no point drowning in things outside his control.
He already decided.
He wanted strength.
He wanted power.
Not because of some title.
Not because of becoming Mage Lord.
Not because someone expected him to.
He wanted to live properly.
This second life—
he wanted to use it.
And if moving forward meant carrying uncomfortable truths—
then he would carry them.
Will stretched.
His joints cracked lightly.
Then he started his morning routine.
First—
light exercise.
Push-ups.
Slow.
Controlled.
Then squats.
Core work.
Balance.
After that—
movement drills.
Footwork.
Weight shifting.
Body coordination.
After around thirty minutes—
he stopped.
Then—
mana cultivation.
Will sat cross-legged.
Closed his eyes.
Breathed.
Slow inhale.
Slow exhale.
Mana moved.
Unlike before—
he wasn't forcing it.
He focused on feeling.
Flow.
Movement.
Circulation.
Mana entered.
Passed through pathways.
Returned.
Repeated.
After cultivation—
he opened his eyes.
His mind felt sharper.
He showered.
Grabbed breakfast.
Then left.
Academy.
Today—
Artifact Studies.
Emma Bennett's class.
Will entered.
Students slowly filled seats.
Some talked.
Some reviewed notes.
Some slept.
Will sat quietly.
Eventually—
Emma entered.
Immediately—
the room became quieter.
Emma Bennett looked completely different inside class.
She wore a fitted white blouse made from smooth fabric that lightly followed her figure.
The top buttons were left open just enough to reveal the line of her collarbone and a subtle glimpse of skin without looking inappropriate.
The blouse tucked neatly into a dark pencil skirt that hugged her waist and hips before falling to just below her knees.
Professional.
Elegant.
But noticeably more refined than most teachers.
Her sleeves were rolled slightly above her wrists.
A thin silver necklace rested against her neck.
Black heels clicked softly against the floor.
Her dark brown hair was tied loosely behind her head with several strands framing her face.
Mature.
Confident.
Polished.
Her appearance wasn't flashy—
but she carried herself in a way that naturally drew attention.
Emma placed materials down.
Turned.
Then began.
"Today."
"We continue artifact fundamentals."
She drew a large circle on the board.
Then divided it into two sections.
Artifact.
Combat Artifact.
General Purpose Artifact.
She turned back toward the class.
"Most people misunderstand artifacts."
She crossed her arms.
"They think artifacts are simply enchanted objects."
She shook her head.
"They're systems."
Students became quieter.
Emma wrote beneath the diagram:
Structure.
Mana Circuit.
Function.
She tapped the board.
"Every artifact is built from these three foundations."
She pointed at Structure.
"Structure determines durability."
She pointed at Mana Circuit.
"Mana Circuit determines efficiency."
Then Function.
"And Function determines purpose."
She stepped aside.
Then pointed at Combat Artifact.
"Combat Artifacts are designed for direct battle application."
She wrote examples.
Offensive.
Defensive.
Amplification.
Support.
She explained—
"Offensive artifacts increase destructive capability."
"Defensive artifacts create barriers, reinforcement, resistance."
"Amplification artifacts strengthen spells or physical output."
"Support artifacts improve mobility, perception, targeting."
She looked around.
"Most military and dungeon equipment falls into this category."
Then she moved to the second side.
General Purpose Artifact.
She wrote:
Daily Use.
Transportation.
Storage.
Utility.
She explained—
"General Purpose Artifacts aren't weaker."
"They're simply designed differently."
She pointed at Transportation.
"Vehicles."
"Movement platforms."
"Long-distance travel systems."
Then Storage.
"Spatial containers."
"Inventory tools."
Then Utility.
"Temperature control."
"Cleaning."
"Communication."
"Medical support."
She looked at everyone.
"The modern world exists because of General Purpose Artifacts."
She smiled slightly.
"Combat artifacts protect civilization."
"General Purpose artifacts allow civilization to function."
Students quietly wrote notes.
Emma continued.
"The biggest mistake beginners make—"
She tapped the board.
"—is trying to maximize everything."
She drew two circles.
One stable.
One overloaded.
"More mana doesn't mean better."
"If structure can't support output."
"It breaks."
"If function isn't optimized."
"It wastes energy."
She looked around.
"Good artifact design is balance."
Eventually—
assignment review.
Students walked forward.
Submitted papers.
Emma checked.
Commented.
Corrected.
Then—
she reached Will.
She looked at his desk.
Stopped.
Looked again.
Then looked at him.
"...Will."
Will looked up.
Emma tilted her head.
"Where's your assignment?"
Several students looked over.
Will stayed quiet for a second.
Then answered—
"...I didn't finish it."
Emma blinked.
Her expression didn't change.
But she asked—
"...Why?"
Will answered honestly.
"...Recent accident."
Silence.
Emma looked at him.
Then asked again—
"...And?"
Will blinked.
Emma crossed her arms.
Her voice stayed calm.
"Will."
"I asked why."
"Not what happened."
Students became quieter.
Emma continued.
"You had nearly two weeks."
"You didn't send notice."
"You didn't ask for extension."
"You didn't communicate."
She looked directly at him.
"So tell me."
"Why didn't you submit?"
Will paused.
Then answered properly.
"...I focused on recovery."
"...Then training."
"...I thought I could catch up later."
Emma stared.
Then sighed.
"...That's a terrible answer."
Students looked surprised.
Emma rarely said things directly.
She looked at him.
"You were one of my most consistent students."
"You don't disappear."
"You don't miss deadlines."
"So if something happened."
"You tell me."
Silence.
Then she softened slightly.
"...Next time communicate."
She placed paper down.
"Three days."
"Submit it."
Will nodded.
"...Understood."
Emma looked at him for another second.
Then continued class.
Eventually—
class ended.
Students left.
Will stayed.
Then quietly walked toward Emma's office.
After arriving—
he knocked.
Emma's voice came.
"Come in."
Will entered.
Emma looked up.
Then smiled.
Immediately—
her shoulders relaxed.
Her office looked different from classroom.
Books.
Tea.
Artifact models.
Notes everywhere.
Emma herself looked more relaxed.
She removed the outer layer she wore during class.
Now only the fitted blouse remained.
The fabric softened around her posture.
Her sleeves rolled higher.
Hair loosened.
Less teacher.
More woman in her late twenties trying to survive work.
She looked at him.
Then suddenly lifted her chin slightly.
A smug smile appeared.
"...You know."
"You scared me."
Then she crossed her arms proudly.
"But tell me."
"How was my acting of angry teacher?"
She looked at him like a student bragging after showing off a new skill.
Will blinked.
Confused.
Emma looked away.
Then cleared her throat.
"When I heard what happened."
"...I thought maybe you wouldn't come back."
Will stayed quiet.
Emma noticed.
Then coughed.
"...Anyway."
She pointed.
"Sit."
Will sat.
Emma leaned back.
Crossed her legs.
Then looked at him.
For a moment—
something surfaced unexpectedly.
A memory.
Not his.
Original Will's.
Original Will used to help her prepare classes.
One afternoon—
Original Will forgot something and returned to one of the empty classrooms.
He found Emma inside.
Standing alone.
No students.
No audience.
Just her.
Holding notes.
Repeating the same introduction again and again.
Stopping.
Starting over.
Changing posture.
Changing tone.
Practicing where to stand.
Practicing eye contact with empty chairs.
Trying to look confident.
Trying to sound confident.
Then failing.
Original Will remembered she looked completely embarrassed after being discovered.
She admitted she wasn't good with crowds.
Teaching made her nervous.
She worried students thought she looked unreliable.
After that—
Original Will started helping.
Listening to practice lectures.
Giving feedback.
Telling her where she spoke too quickly.
Helping organize explanations.
Helping her practice speaking naturally.
Helping her get used to looking at people instead of notes.
Slowly—
she became better.
More confident.
More comfortable.
And in return—
Emma helped him too.
Artifact theory.
Circuit basics.
Material compatibility.
She stayed after class helping Original Will build simple low-level artifacts.
Nothing impressive.
Small utility tools.
Mana lights.
Signal markers.
Simple support devices.
Several of those artifacts—
Original Will later used inside dungeons.
That strange relationship eventually became normal.
Teacher.
Student.
But also—
people who quietly helped each other.
"...How long are you going to stare?"
Will blinked.
Emma looked at him suspiciously.
Then asked—
"So."
"What actually happened?"
Will explained.
Accident.
Training.
Private room.
Kael.
Points.
Wanting improvement.
Emma listened quietly.
No interruptions.
Then asked—
"...You're pushing yourself again?"
Will looked at her.
Emma sighed.
"You always do this."
"When something goes wrong."
"You stop talking."
"And start trying harder."
Will blinked.
Original Will probably did.
Emma looked at him.
"...You don't need to prove something every time."
Will smiled awkwardly.
"...Maybe."
Emma stared.
Then narrowed eyes.
"...You came for something."
Will coughed.
"...Permission."
Emma raised eyebrow.
"For?"
Will answered—
"...Restricted library access."
Emma blinked.
Then stared.
"...Excuse me?"
Will looked away.
"...Research."
Emma narrowed eyes.
"...Research?"
She leaned forward.
"What exactly are you researching?"
Will answered.
"Mana circulation."
"Efficiency."
"Recovery."
Emma stared.
Then asked—
"...You're serious?"
Will nodded.
Emma looked at him quietly.
Then smiled.
"...You really changed."
Will looked at her.
Emma leaned back.
"...Old you would've asked for artifact books."
"...Not cultivation theory."
Silence.
Then she looked at him.
"...Why should I approve it?"
Will thought.
Then smiled slightly.
"...You remember when you struggled teaching?"
Emma froze.
Will continued.
"...I helped."
"...Now I need help."
Emma stared.
Then dramatically covered her chest.
"...Wow."
She looked offended.
"Using emotional debt."
"Against your teacher."
She shook her head.
"I raised you better than this."
Will immediately said—
"No—"
Emma laughed.
Then stopped.
Looked at him.
Then quietly said—
"...Okay."
Will blinked.
"...Really?"
Emma nodded.
Then pointed.
"But."
Will sighed.
"...What?"
Emma smiled.
"I want results."
She leaned forward.
"If you're skipping assignments."
"If you're training."
"If you're asking for restricted access."
"Then show me it wasn't pointless."
Will smiled.
"...Deal."
Emma signed papers.
Stamped them.
Then handed them over.
As he stood—
Emma suddenly said—
"...And Will."
"...Don't worry about the assignment."
"You can give it to me whenever you're free."
He looked back.
Emma smiled softly.
"And..."
"Next time."
"If something happens."
"Tell people."
Will stayed quiet.
Then nodded.
"...Okay."
He left.
Library.
Restricted section.
The atmosphere changed immediately.
Quieter.
Older.
Shelves taller.
Books thicker.
Less students.
Will started reading.
Mana Theory.
Cultivation.
Efficiency.
Recovery.
Control.
Breathing.
Flow.
People here learned mana naturally.
Since childhood.
He didn't.
So—
he studied.
Days passed.
Wake.
Exercise.
Class.
Library.
Training room.
Cultivation.
Sleep.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Every day—
Second Wind.
Pain disappeared.
Exhaustion faded.
Then—
again.
Sword.
Magic.
Control.
Understanding.
One day became five.
Five became ten.
Ten became twenty.
Eventually—
last day.
Will lay on bed.
Quiet.
Thinking.
One month.
Sword smoother.
Mana cleaner.
Body adapted.
Not mastery.
Not talent.
Just—
improvement.
He smiled.
Tomorrow—
he would show results.
Proof effort mattered.
Proof change was possible.
Will closed his eyes.
And for the first time in a long while—
he fell asleep immediately.